Training the Next Generation to Achieve Hearing Health Access

Univ Of Arkansas For Med Scis, Little Rock AR

Investigators

Abstract

Hearing loss affects a staggering 1.6 billion people worldwide, and 80% of affected individuals live in rural and underserved communities. Access to hearing care is extremely limited in these areas and is a major contributor to poor outcomes. Addressing a challenge of this magnitude requires a research workforce well-versed in the breadth of cross-cutting disciplines needed for real impact: epidemiology, trial design, technology innovation, community engagement, implementation science, cost-effectiveness analyses, and advocacy for policy change. Over the past 8 years, I have developed a robust research infrastructure to comprehensively address hearing health access in rural and underserved populations in the US and globally, and I founded and direct the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Center for Hearing Health Access, the only research center of its type in the world. I have a strong track record of mentoring trainees at all levels and purposefully incorporate trainees into all projects at the Center. I am now seeking a K24 award to enhance my mentoring skills and leverage my research program to uniquely train the next generation of clinician-scientists to advance access to hearing health. I have developed three specific strategies to advance my mentoring skills. First, I will be guided by a Mentorship Advisory Board of senior researchers who will formally evaluate my mentoring progress. Second, I will develop INSIGHT (IDeA Network Supporting Investigator Growth to Help Trainees), a novel network to connect mid- career mentors in rural states. Third, I will participate in advanced mentor training through the Center for the Improvement in Mentored Experiences in Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Additionally, I will pursue advanced training in implementation science through the University of Washington Implementation Science in Global Health Summer Institute. I will facilitate my mentoring plan by pursuing two Specific Aims that incorporate the breadth of the Center for Hearing Health Access research program and support the training and career advancement of my mentees. In Aim 1, I will mentor trainees in patient-oriented research (POR) to improve identification and outcomes for hearing loss through two projects: 1) tympanometry to identify middle ear pathology in screening programs; 2) impact of the STAR intervention on longitudinal academic outcomes. In Aim 2, I will mentor trainees in POR to develop and implement new models of healthcare delivery for hearing loss through two projects: 3) identification of treatment needs following school hearing screening; 4) identification of barriers and facilitators to inform a generalizable roadmap to scale STAR. All four projects are new, will be directly supported by the K24, and will occur in the US. I have developed a unique research program that directly facilitates trainee participation in all aspects of the research process across the breadth of disciplines in hearing health access. Facilitated by a K24, I will combine the resources of the Center for Hearing Health Access research portfolio with meaningful involvement of trainees to push the boundaries of POR to achieve hearing health access, both locally and globally.